In what is arguably the biggest news of the fortnight, Attorney-General Christian Porter said he is considering legal actions after news reports indicated that he was engaging in inappropriate conduct towards women in the past that included “sexist, misogynistic” commentary to and about them. The program was a huge talking point and we’re sure we will be checking in on this story for a long time to come. 

2: VicBar criticised for having ‘no self-awareness’ in council announcement

Related to the above, the Victorian Bar has been criticised for “silencing women” while voting in a whole new suite of council members – minus Wendy Harris QC. Its criticism comes after ousting Kathleen Foley, a brave and impressive barrister, who had earlier spoken on the Four Corners program about Mr Porter’s conduct. 

3: The Protégé Podcast launches for young lawyers

In some really exciting news from us, we’re thrilled to announce that we have launched a podcast for law students, graduates and aspiring lawyers. Our first episode has just been released featuring the Australian Law Students Association’s president Nicholas Tsekouras and immediate past president Margaret Cai. You can find that episode here and please reach out if you like it and want to join me on an episode! 

4: Qld lawyer launches new firm at 27

In the midst of a global pandemic, young lawyer Simon Playford launched his own firm and proved that young voices are needed more than ever at the top of the profession – no matter how long they have been in it. Mr Playford’s career is really inspiring and he has some great tips for other young lawyers, which you can see in our latest bulletin. 

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5: ‘Dream job to nightmare’: Investigation into senior lawyer’s suicide reveals a toxic culture at Victoria’s Coroners Court

For Jessica Wilby, securing a role at the Coroners Court and starting her path towards coroner aspirations was a “dream”, but a toxic culture, untenable workloads and below standard conditions quickly turned it into an “unimaginable nightmare”. Please proceed with caution when reading this article, it gets into the sad details around one woman’s death due to a very toxic workplace culture. It’s still important to read if you can. There are details for helplines at the bottom of the article. 

6: Women in Law finalists unveiled for 2020

In more exciting news from Lawyers Weekly, we have just published the list of finalists for our 2020 Women in Law Awards, featuring four incredible law students. A Q&A for each of the finalists has been included in the latest Protégé bulletin. 

7: ‘Not discriminating is not enough’: How firms can better support LGBTQI+

In the last three years since same-sex marriage was legalised, firms have transitioned, fine-tuned and committed their offices to promoting LGBTQI+ rights and while they are to be commended for non-discriminatory policies and a change in their hiring practices, there is much more to be considered when it comes to making everyone feel welcome. 

8: ‘Quick fix that won’t work’: LIV on proposed family court merger

With the bill currently before Parliament, the Law Institute of Victoria has opposed the merger of the specialist Family Court with the Federal Circuit Court. Family law section chair Nicky Neville-Jones said passing the bill would have negative implications for all affected families, including the vulnerable, children and victims of family violence. 

9: Court rules climate evidence can be presented in case against NSW EPA

For the first time bushfire survivors will be allowed to present expert scientific evidence on climate change in their landmark case against the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the Land and Environment Court has ruled.

10: Prioritising client relationships with ethical billing key for post-COVID

A new law firm on the NSW Central Coast has launched in the middle of the pandemic, and although that has provided a set of challenges in itself, the sole practitioner’s main aim was to ensure that the care of her family law clients was prioritised.